Spring forming and tempering machine



March 18, 1924. 1,487,530

' J. A. BOWERS ET AL SPRING FORMING AND {TEMPERING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 92? J27? for Jesse Ill/e12, Bawew and Edward fa&lzfia zygarm March 18, 1924.

J. A. BOWERS ET AL SPRING FORMING AND TEMPERING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 inn-Emmi '21 21a 24 for fizforzz'e J (Essa 45610 Bowers and Edward Johifizmzgqrfm BV-TQZJM W March 18, 1924.

J. A. BOWERS ET AL SPRING FORMING AND TEMPERING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16. 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 3771/6 zzfo Jsse flllek awers am! Edam/1d claim Baaggarfen 5y 9M M flffoz'figli mw N.

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J. A. BOWERS ET AL SPRING FORMING AND TEMPERING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16. 1919 4 SheetsSheet 4 Jrrz/enZoX ssefllewfiawers a/zd Eduard Ji/Zhfl flfeli STATES- oFFlcE.

JESSE ALLEN BOWERS, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND EDWARD JOHN BAUMGARTEN, OF CANTON, OHIO.

SFRING FORMING AND TEMPERING MACHINE.

Application filer} August 16, 1919. Serial No. 318.037.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jnssn ALLEN Bownns and EDWARD JOHN BAUMGARTEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Wilkesliarre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, respectively, have invented new and useful Spring Forming and Tampering Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in machines for automatically forming and tempering springs for automobiles and other vehicles.

It is well understood that springs of this character are formed from a plurality of flat leaf springs which are curved and tempered and fastened together to form the completed spring. In the manufacture of these leaf springs, each leaf is made from a flat strip or bar of steel bent exactly to a predetermined curvature and then hardened and tempered to retain that curvature. When a number of these leaves are joined together to produce a complete spring it is essential that the various leaves be bent exactly and uniformly and that the tempering of the leaves be done in such a manner that all parts of the leaves will be uniformly hardened. Experience has proven that springs sometimes warp and get out of shape while being tempered, requiring additional labor to restore them to their proper shape.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means whereby leaf springs may be automatically formed from flat strips or bars of steel and then tempered by successive action and in a step by step manner so that a spring which has been formed can be tempered without removing it from the forming head and permitting of the forming of a spring simultaneouslywith the tempering of previously formed springsl Further objects are to provide means whereby the forming heads are automatically closed after a heated strip or bar of steel is placed therein and automatically opened to discharge the finished spring after it has passed through the quenching bath and been properly tempered.

Further objects are the provision of means whereb an operation is performed by a single cyc e of the forming and tempering machine and to provide for the continuous and rapid manufacture of springs of a uniformly high standard of quality and with a reduced amount of labor and cost of production.

l/Vith these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of illustrated in he accompanying drawings,

and particularly pointed out in the ap-' arts, hereinafter described,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a spring forming and tempering machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, parts being shown in section for the purpose of illustration.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a.perspective view of one end of one of the traveling heads.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through one of the heads.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the links of the endless chain.

A practical embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Briefly stated, the embodiment of our invention comprises an elongated oil tank above which uprights are provided, supporting an endless carrier u on which is mounted a plurality of spring orming heads, comprising upper and lower jaws, said heads being raised out of and lowered'into the oil in the tank as they travel upon the endless carrier, the jaws of each head being automatically closed after a heated strip or bar is placed within the head and automatically opened to discharge the formed and tempered spring after each head emerges from the oil tank.

More specifically describing the construe tion illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates an oil tank which is preferably formed of concrete as shown. This oil tank is rectangular and of considerable length. A pair of castings 2 are mounted near the forward end of the tank upon the sides thereof and have journaled therein a shaft 3, one end of said shaft extending through the adjacent casting 2 and being journaled within a spaced casting 4, a gear wheel 5 being carried on said shaft between said spaced casting and meshing with a pinion 6 mounted upon a counter shaft 7 which is journalcd in spaced bearings 8, a clutch 9 being provided upon said shaft for operatively connecting the drive pulley 10 to the shaft, power being applied to said drive pulley from any suitable source.

A pair of spaced sprocket wheels 11 are fixedly mounted upon the shaft 3, the lower portions of said"'sprocketwheels extending into the oil tank. A pair of castings 12 similar to the castings 2 are mounted near the opposite end of the oil tank from the castings 2, upon opposite sides of the tank and have journaled therein a shaft 13 upon which are fixedly mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 14 similar to the sprocket wheels 11, each of said sprocket wheels being in alignment with one of the sprocket wheels 11.

An endless chain 15 connects each aligned pair of sprocket wheels 11 and 14. Each chain is composed of relatively large links 16, joined together by relatively small H- shaped links 17. Each of the links 16 is of channel shape in cross section to accommodate the teeth upon the sprocket wheels 11 and 14, the channels being enlarged at their extremities as shown at 18 to receive the H- shaped links. Bolts 19 are passed through suitable apertures in the links 16 and 17 for the purpose of pivotally connecting the links together. Each alternate link 16 is provided in its upper face with a transversely disposed dove tailed groove 20 by means of which the forming heads are. connected to the chains as will be hereinafter described.

Each of the forming heads comprises a base 21 provided with dove-tailed lugs 22* which are received in the dove-tailed grooves 20 of the chains. A lower jaw indicated generally by the numeral 22 is fixedly attached to the base 21 and an upper jaw indicated generally by the numeral 23 is slidably mounted upon the base being provided at its extremities with the ribs 24 which are slidably mounted in the channels 25 formed in the blocks 26 which blocks are fixedly connected to the upper face of the base 21. Angular stops 27 are provided at intervals around the upper edge of the base to limit the opening movement of the upper jaw and prevent accidental displacement of the jaw when the head is in the inverted position.

Attention is now directedto the construction of the jaws and their parts. It will be noted that the upper jaw is rovided at its upper edge with an integral orwardly projecting ledge 28, a similar ledge 29 being upper surface of the ledge 28, a coil spring- 32 being provided around each pin and bearing against the collar 31 thereon and the undcrsurfacc of the ledge 27. A presser head 33 preferably of the form illustrated in the drawings is fixedly connected to the lower end of each of the pins 30. It will be understood that when the upper jaw descends upon the work and the clamping action takes place as between the upper and lower jaws the springs 32 will be compressed, the amount of compression of the different springs varying slightly if there is any unevenness in the thickness of the heated strip or bar from which the spring is to be formed.

Referring to the lower jaw it will be noted that the, same is provided with a forwardly projecting ledge 34 at its lower edge, a plurality of adjusting screws 35 being threaded through suitable aperture-s in said ledge, adjusting nuts 36 being provided upon said screws and bearing against the upper face of the ledge. A spring receiving block 37 is connected to each of the adjusting screws, these spring receiving blocks being provided with the half round surfaces as shown in the drawings. It will be apparent that by adjustment of the various screws 35 the corresponding spring receiving blocks 37 may be raised or lowered as may be desired.

It will be understood from the above description that the presser heads and spring receiving blocks on the upper and lower aws respectively may be so arranged and adjusted that when they are brought toward each other to clamp a bar or strip of steel between thcm as illustrated at 38 in Fig. 4 said bar will be pressed and formed into the desired curved shape. By variation and adjustment of the presser heads and spring receiving blocks different curvatures and forms of springs may be produced.

The upper jaw is provided at each extremity with a block 39 fixedly attached thereto, said block having a concaved outer face, 40 and being provided with a V-shaped notch 41 in its forward face. A bracket 42 is fixed upon the lower jaw directly beneath each of the blocks 39 and is provided with a bifurcated portion 43 within which is pivoted a lever 44, said lever being provided near its upper extermity with a V-shaped tooth 45 arran ed to be normally held in engagement wit the notch 41 in the block 39 when the .upper jaw is in the raised position. by means of an expansion spring 46, hearing against the inner face of the lever 44 adjacent the lower extremity thereof.

A cam 47 is pivoted 'at lb upon each of the blocks :26 and is provided with acurved eccentric face 49 arranged to engage the concaved face -l of the adjacent block 39. livoted ecccntrically upon the cain lT, at 50 is a linger 51 having a beveled extremity 5; which is received within the notch 53 provided in the under surface of the lever H at a point adjacent its upper end.

The cam 47 is provided with a curved tail portion 54 which is normally disposed in the direction shown in Fig. 5 when theupper jaw is in the raised or opened position. A finger 55 is rigidly connected to the upper portion of the cam and is off-set as best shown in Fig. l in order to clear the lever 44 when the upper jaw is in the lowered or closed position.

Rollers 56 are journaled in suitable bearings 57 provided at each end of the base 21. These rollers are adapted to travel upon the upper tracks 58 supported by the uprights 59 and upon the lower tracks 60 which are located within the tank. \Vith this construction the weightof the forming heads is removed from the chains, the upper and lower tracks supporting the entire weight of the forming heads as well as the chains.

pair of spaced posts 61 are mounted at the forward end of the tank and are provided with inwardly dispose-d trip arms 62 located in the path of the cams 47 and arranged to engage the tail portions 54 of said cams. Thus as each head is moved past the trip arms 62 in the open position the tails of the cams 47 will engage these trip arms and be moved into the position shown in Fig. at, the fingers 51 being moved longitudinally within the notches in the levers A. raising the upper ends of said levers sufiiciently to release the teeth 45 upon the levers from the notches 41 in the upper jaw allowing the jaw to drop into the closed position. At the same time the cams are eing moved into the position shown in Fig. 4. the eccentric faces 49 thereof being brought into frictional engagement with the concaved faces 40 of the blocks 39 upon the upper jaw thus clamping the upper jaw in the closed position.

At the opposite end of the tank is located a pair of posts 63 provided with the trip arms 64 located in the path of the fingers 55 as the heads emerge from the oil tank. As each head rises from the oil tank the fingers 55 upon the cams 47 thereon will engage the trip arms 6- and as the head is moved past these trip arms the cams will thus be moved back into the initial position as indicated at 65 in Fig. 5 releasing the upper jaw, and as the head is at this time in the inverted position the upper jaw will t drop by gravity into the open position, the stops 27 limiting the downward movement of the jaw in the event that the levers 4-1 should fail to operate.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The chains are traveling in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the heads traveling upon the upper tracks 58 being in theopen position as illustrated in the drawings. As each head passes toward the position shown in Fig. 3 a bar or strip of heated steel is placed between the jaws and as the head continues to descend the tail portions of the cams 47 thereon will engage the trip arms 62 as above described, disengaging the toothed levers -14 from the upper aw and allowing the upper jaw to drop by gravity, the cams at the same time being moved into position to clamp said upper jaw firmly against the heated strip, the presser heads being brought rapidly into engagement with the work, forming and clamping the heated bar in the exact form desired.

Immediately after this clamping action takes place the formed heated bar is submerged in the oil as the head continues to travel downwardly around the sprockets 11. Eaclr formed bar is thus carried through the entire length of the oil tank emerging from the oil at the opposite end of the tank as the head in which it is carried passes over the sprocket 14. It will be understood that these endless chains and the tank may be of any desired length, any number of heads being provided upon the endless chain.

Although for purposes of illustration in the drawings only two or three heads are shown upon the endless chains it will be understood that in practical operation every alternate link 15, that is every link provided with the dovetailed groove 20 will carry a forming head.

As each head emerges from the oil tank the fingers upon the cams thereof will engage the trip arms 64: moving the cams into the initialposition as above described, allowing the upper jaw which is then in the inverted position to drop into the raised or opened position releasing the formed and tempered spring which will drop from the head. The head then travels upwardly over the sprockets 14 and forwardly as above described in the opened position and is ready for the insertion of a new spring as it passes downwardly over the sprocket 11.

Ye. claim 1. A spring forming and tempering machine including a tempering bath, a plurality of metal forming means, means for moving said metal forming means in a non-circular path through said bath, means for lowering said forming means into the bath at a predetermined point and for raising said forming means out of the bath at a predetermined point, cams upon said forming means for clamping the same in closed position upon a strip of heated metal, and trip arms located at opposite ends of the tank and arranged to operate said cams.

2. A spring forming and tempering ma chine including an oil tank, tempering liquid within said tank, an endless carrier located adjacent said tank and arranged to travel in a non-circular track through said tank, forming heads carried upon said endless carricr, each head provided with metal forming means adapted to receive and form heated metal cams upon said heads for clamping the forming means upon a strip of heated metal and trip arms at opposite ends of the tank for operating said cams.

3. A spring forming and tempering machine, including a tank containing tempering liquid, endless chains mounted adjacent said tank and arranged to travel through said tank, a plurality of forming heads carried upon said endless chains and adapted to receive and form heated metal, a fixed jaw upon each forming head, a movable jaw upon each forming head, a cam upon each head for automatically moving the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw to clamp a strip of heated metal at a predetermined point before each head enters the tank and trip arms for releasing the movable jaw at a predetermined point after each head emerges from the tan 4. A spring forming and tempering machine, including a tank containing tempering liquid, endless chains mounted adjacent said tank and arranged to travel through said tank, a plurality of forming heads carried upon sald endless chains and adapted to receive and form heated metal, a fixed jaw upon each forming head, a movable jaw upon each forming head, cams arranged to clamp said movable jaw upon a strip of heated metal, trip arms located at one end of the tank arranged to operate said cams befor the head passes into the tank and a second pair of trip arms located at the other end of the tank and arranged to release said cams after the head emerges from the tank.

5. A spring forming and tempering machine including an oil tank containing tempering liquid, a sprocket wheel journaled above each end portion of the tank, an endless carrier located around said sprocket wheels, and arranged to travel through the tank, forming heads carried upon said carrier and provided with metal forming means adapted to receive and form heated metal, and a straight track entirely immersed in the oil in the tank upon which said forming heads are arranged to travel through the oil.

6. A spring forming and tempering machine includm an oil tank contaim'n tempering liquid, a sprocket wheel journaled above each end portion of the tank, an endless carrier located around said sprocket wheels, and arranged to travel through the tank, forming heads carried upon said carrier and provided with metal forming means adapted to receive and form heated metal, and a straight track located between the lower portions of the sprocket wheels upon which the forming heads are arranged to travel through the oil.

7. A spring forming and tempering machine including an oil tank containing tempering liquid, sprocket wheels above opposite end portions of the tank, an endless carrier located around said sprocket wheels and arranged to travel through the tank, forming heads upon said endless carrier provided with metal forming means adapted to receive and form heated metal, means for clamping heated metal in each head at a predetermined point before it enters the tank, means for unclamping the heated metal after it emerges from the tank, and a straight track entirely immersed in the oil in the tank upon which the forming heads travel through the oil.

8. A spring forming and tempering machine includmg an oil tank containing tempering liquid, sprocket wheels above opposite end portions of the tank, an endlesscarrier located around said sprocket wheels and arranged to travel through the tank, forming heads upon said endless carrier provided with metal forming means adapted to receive and form heated metal, means for clamping heated metal in each head at a predetermined point before it enters the tank, means for unclamping the heated metal after it emerges from the tank, and a straight track located between the lower portions of the sprocket wheels upon which the forming heads are arranged to travel through the oil.

In testimony that we claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

JESSE ALLEN BOWERS. EDWARD JOHN BAUMGARTEN- 

